SpoonFullofJelly

I want to truly thank all those that have followed this blog for the past 3 years. I have written about the journey of infertility and adoption on this blog. I threw in the fun books, money management tips and even gluten free taste tests. I followed many other blogs that were traveling down the same path. Once they conceived or adopted, their blogs stopped. If the author kept writing, the material quickly changed to baby related posts. Those posts were hard to read while Hubby and I kept struggling month after month. I soon unplugged and went on a search for something else. Infertility is a life long problem. Hubby and I are not "cured". We are still unable to conceive on our own. We likely will never be able to. Because of that, Hubby and I will continue to share our story and our strength. Male factor infertility is the main cause of our infertility. Hubby has shared his thoughts and feelings many times over the years here on this blog. It was  He is a couples t...

Every family should have an annual theme. A theme is what the family is striving for. It is what motivates them to do something that year. It can guide them towards or even away from a situation. Each December Hubby and I sit down to discuss what our theme of the year will be. We want to make sure that we are making strides for a better year. The theme for us isn’t based on one goal like “weight lost”, but an overall idea that can be relayed into other aspects of our lives. Cleanse   In 2019, we want to cleanse ourselves of all that we do not need, want, and care to carry forward. We are appling this theme to holidays, friends, food and careers. We are clearing out the useless, the burden laden and the old. It isn't enough to just ignore things, that is merrily just a quick fix. We want to permanently adjust what we do, what we buy, what we wear and what we eat. As one friend put it "yall getting hippy-er?!" And he isnt referring to my thighs... Financial...

So how did your year go? Was 2018 the year that you accomplish what you wanted to? Did life take you by surprise and nothing went according to plans? Hubby and I began 2018 with a moniker/theme for the year. For us, 2018 was going to be the year of Completion . And we did live up to that! At the end of 2017, I set specific goals that I wanted to complete in different aspects of my life during 2018. Check out ny 2018 goals here . So here is what I have Completed in 2018. The Financial Pay off 3 of my small Student Loans Well, I paid off one loan. Finances got really tight around April and September and we had to spend the extra payments that we were going to make.  The Self Improvement Drop 30 lbs! I am so proud of myself. I lost 24 pounds in 2018. I was determined not to gain weight during the last two festive months. I kept stretching and moving. For a recap, I did not do Whole 30 nor did join a group or program. I simply cut my meat consumption down...

Half of 2018 is over! Did you accomplish anything from your resolution list from January? Are you working towards your annual goals both at home and work? I couldn't believe my eyes as I filled in my month budget. The year is half way over and all I could think about where did the time go! I revisited my resolution list and hoped that I didn't get too far off course. I also had to remind myself some things that I might have forgotten to work on. My lists usually are on my cork board, but I moved it. Out of sight is out of mind!  The Self Improvement Drop 30 lbs! I'm happy to report that I have lost 14 lbs so far! It is amazing how quickly the weight fell off. I have not done Whole 30 yet. I actually got in the floor and did some exercises and yoga. I pushed myself to the limit a few times a week and I saw results. I believe I will hit this goal. The Family Explore with the baby Spend time with aging grandparents This summer I will be able to explore...

Right before the clock struck midnight, I made a decision on December 31st to eat plant based in January. I had a fridge and freeze full of meat and dairy products from hosting 10 people over the holiday season. I always have dairy free options because Hubby has been dairy free since about 2011. I had not planned out that week's groceries nor had I thought it through. I just took off running into veggieland. I never knew what this transformation was going to mean to me. Breakfast First thing I took into consideration was my mornings and afternoons. It is so easy for me to fry an egg and chicken sausage and call that breakfast. I do smoothies each day, but once morning passes, I usually don't make one. So I set out to transform the most important meals of the day. First I switched my coffee creamer. It took more than half the month to find one that I like. Silk coffee creamer in Sweet Cream flavor did the trick. I love that it isn't too sweet and that there...

Hello, This is Mr. Mind. I am dropped in on my wife's blog to provide my resolutions. I plan on dropping by more often. I should have posted this earlier but it's never too late to set goals. My year's focus is just as my wife's. We are out to complete what we have started. Below are other things I want to accomplish this year. 1. To read more and watch TV less.  2. Exercise at least once a week 3. Build in more #vegetarian/ #vegan eating 4. Have family prayer night 5. Gain 3 new I3 clients by the end of the 2018  6. Find a hobby and do it with fidelity 7. Grow as a husband and a father 8. Lead my household diligently and take charge 9. Create annual family activities and traditions 10. Become a more decisive person 11. Take risks without permission 12. Keep My wife, son, and any other children come first!  As I was writing out my goals, I wanted to also add that another theme for my year is Spiritual growth, Fam...

Happy New Year!  Welcome to 2018!!  This is a brand new year to make new decisions, live in a new fashion and try new things. Each year poses an opportunity for things to shift in a new way. Every year, Americans make resolutions to be a better person. I am no different. This year is similar to the past couple of years. I have focused on a goal for each part of my life. Below you will see what I have resolved in the areas of the Finances, Self Improvement, Intellect, Career, and Family. These five areas give a well-rounded view of one's s elf. I believe that everyone can find something to complete in each area.  You will find that each section has an actual date to help keep me on track. Give this method a try. At the end of the year, I do come back and analyze my year. Check out my results from 2017 . I didn't do half bad, if I were to say so myself. The Financial Pay off 3 of my small Student Loans Student loans are currently Hubby's and I only deb...

At the beginning of 2017 I made goals for the year. I started the year off right like everyone else. I made plans to accomplish them, I added them to my calendar and remained positive. Check out my 2017 Goals  here. However, after a couple months, life gets in the way and some goals are forgotten. I believe that we need some form of quarterly check in. Perhaps this will help keep me on tract. I'll keep this in mind for 2018. I concentrated on every aspect of my life. I will provide a candid view into what I hoped to accomplish in 2017 and what actually happened. The Spiritual   R ead and Journal Through 2 Books of the Bible This did not happen. Sadly, I didn't focus on two books but rather journal through one part of Proverbs and began a devotional at the end of the year. My lack of accomplishing this task makes it seem as though this wasn't the most important goal of the year. It would have certainly strengthen other areas of my life. This is going right up to...

Three months ago I could barely pull a sweater from my shelf without getting plummeted by a pile of clothes. I threw everything to the floor in frustration and headed to my dresser. I tried to pull out a shirt from a drawer, but four more came with it. I grunted in frustration. Since when did I have so many clothes? I went to college with three suitcases, lived over seas with two suitcases and took those same two suitcases to Chicago for my masters degree. I know I have been in the tundra for the past four and half years, but where did all these clothes come from? It is time to Declutter! There are tons and tons of videos that show you how to organize here  and here , but organization is not my problem. Quantity is my problem. I want less stuff. So I skipped the idea of organizing and started purging. I began in the kitchen. I got rid of extra dish towels. We can recycle fabric in my city and so all extra, torn and even missed matched towels were tossed. I have 8 place ...

Having a baby is celebrated by families because a new generation has been added to the family tree. As adopting parents, we are working hard to broadening our family tree. We are keeping an open mind about what makes a family a family. However, last week, we said goodbye to one generation. With heavy hearts, my husband lost his last grandmother. Things will never be the same. The family's glue was this grandmother. She spoke love, wisdom and patience into her five daughters, 2 dozen grandchild and countless number of great-grands. As of today, our family tree has lost a branch. We take our time as there is a plan at work. We wait patiently because I am sure, she is watching out for us. She is guiding our baby our way!

In response to: Reshma Saujani - Teach Girls Bravery Not Prefection   I have really gotten into TED Talks in 2016. They have opened my eyes to a plethora of topics presented by experts in their fields. The latest talk that pointed out an interesting problem was presented by Reshma Saujani. She presented on how boys are taught to take risks and girls are taught to be prefect. She went on to say that girls have stop doing, trying and even stray away from challenges because they feel like they couldn't excel or was not ready.  I was not one of those girls. I was applauded as being brave throughout my childhood. I was able to speak to adults without being shy, I could give a speech in front of a crowd and even attended an event without knowing anyone there. I traveled to other countries including Japan without my parents at 14 years old for a few months. I even travel around Asia in my early twenties alone and with friends. I have always felt that I was brave.  Howev...

If you look around the internet, you will find millions of posts about how to improve yourself in the new year. It is a breath of fresh air to see so many people analyzing their lives, lifestyles, careers and more. They provide so many tips and ideas of how to get started. They even give wonderful ideas of what to release from your life and add to your world.  Think about what you would like to happen throughout 2017. These are items that can happen at anytime of the year and in any order. Think about the various people that come and go from your life everyday. What you want to change can often effect them.  My 2017 Goals:   The Spiritual   R ead and Journal Through 2 Books of the Bible The Financial Payoff 1/4 of my Student Loans The Self Improvement Drop 30lbs Wear a Skirt at least once a week Stop Biting my Nails The Intellectual Read a Book a Month Mind my words The Career Grow this Blog Sell #2000 Jars of Preserves The Family Fin...

Its March and Hubby and I are thinking of summer. I know some of you are shocked since it's still a little cold out, but our snow has melted and the birds are chirping. That means that summer will early and warmer than usual! Camp site reservations are opening soon and summer activity schedules are opening everywhere. I'm so excited! We want to make sure that we are well prepared to enjoy the joys of summer so we are getting a head start. I figured that I should share some great tips I learned years ago. Don't wait for summer to sneak up on you and your family. Welcome it well prepared, emotionally and financially. 1. Make a List of Summer Activities We love to try new restaurants and we save up for this every winter. We try 2-4 new restaurants each month and spend no more than $25 at each place. Sometimes we have enough money for a meal each and other times we have to share. We just want the experience. We are also campers, swimmers, travelers and theater lovers. We...